Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. OOUGHLAN.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Oct. 8, 1882.

UNITED STATES ATENT Trice.

\VILLIAM COUGHLAN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,248, dated October3, 1882,

Application filed Apr-i118, 1882. (No model.)

T 0 all whom 1t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM COUGHLAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of thisspecifioation.

This invention consists in certain improvements in car-couplings, aswill be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improvedcoupling. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of my draw-head andlocking device; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the coupling. Fig. 4represents a plan view, showing in dotted lines the position assumed byaportion of the parts on engagement with the coupler.

A represents the draw-head, which is composed of two jaws, B, one oneither side, and having inwardly-extending beveled faces a.Inwardly-extending lugs b b are formed on the inner faces'of each jaw ofthe draw-head, and these lugs are pivoted together at c to allow of thejaw B, opening outward, to receive the arrow-head coupling 0 on a carhaving such a coupling coming in contact with saidjaws. On suchacoupling coming in contact with thejaws they will open outwardly, asshown in Fig. 4, and allow the point of the arrow-head to come incontact with a block, D, which is slotted at d, and slides horizontallyupon an arrow-headed bolt or coupling, 0, secured within the drawhead.It is the purpose to place one of the pivoted-jaw draw-heads shownherein on each car end and to secure oneof the arrow-headed bolts orcouplings 0 within each draw-head, with the head of each bolt projectingtherefrom, as shown, so that on the cars coming together each projectinghead will enter between the.

spring-jaws of the opposing draw-head and press them apart to admit ofthe entrance of said bolt in the manner indicated in Fig. 4.

E represents a hood or cap whose office it is to hold or clamp thejawsfirmly together. This hood or cap E has a horizontal top, 0, anddownwardly-depending vertical cheeks], and arms or legs g, which areslotted at h to admit of their sliding upon studs orprojections 2',formed upon or attached to the outer sides of thejaws B. The normalposition of this hood or cap E is, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1,2,and 3, with its top 6 resting upon the top edges of the jaws and itscheeksf and legs g embracing the sides thereof, in which position saidjaws are held firmly in closed position without possibility of beingforced outward.

When it is desired to couple two or more cars together a brakeman, bycatching hold of the vertical rod k, attached at its lower end to thetop 0 of the hood E by a staple or other suitable device, and pullingupward thereon, can readily raise said hood until the cheeksfare abovethe sides of the jaws, and in such position, the restraint afforded bysaid cheeks embracing the sides of the jaws being removed, said jaws Bwill be free to move outward sidewise on a coupling-bolt pressingagainst them. The "ertical rod 70 can be extended to the top of the car,so as tobe operated therefrom. Horizontal arms I and m are, however,secured to said vertical rod 70 to allow of said rod and the cap E, towhich it is attached, being raised by any one without ascending to thetop of the car. After the hood E has been raised, as shown in dottedlines, Fig. 1, and after the head of the coupling-rod has passed betweenthe jaws B, the rod la is released and the hood E will then drop downover and embrace the sides of thejaws and hold them in closed position,thereby securely retaining the couplingrod within and between said jawswithout possibility of its being drawn or jerked out by any amountofjolting of the cars until the hood or cap E is again raised.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars the hood is raised in the samemanner as when cars have to be coupled, and the coupling-bolt can thenbe readily drawn out, as whenever the hood E is raised above the sidesof the jaws saidjaws are free to open outward upon their pivot b e.

A spring, F, is attached at one end to the rear face of the block D, itsother end resting against the lugs b, in order that on the coup- 1', andis secured to the frame G with capability ling-bolt U pressing againstsaid block D it I will pass rearwardly and allow said bolt 0 to enterbetween thejaws B. \Vhen the bolt 0 has entered between thejaws saidblock will press upon the apex of the arrow-head and force its shouldersit against the shoulders 0 of the said jaws, and thereby prevent anymovement of said bolt until thejaws B are released. The rear ends, F, ofthe jaws B are slotted at 1) to allow of the passage therethrough of aforked bar or frame, G, upon which said ends slide rearwardly on thecoupling-bolt (.l entering the forward ends of the jaws, the movementforward of said jaws on the pulling ot' the ears apart when starting thetrain being limited by spring-block H I. The rear end of the coupling-bolt U rests within the slot 1' in the block of independenthorizontal movement thereon.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A ear-coupling having a drawhead com posed of jawsB, adapted to move outwardly in a horizontal direction, and having studsor projections i on their outer sides, the cap or hood 1*],having top 0,cheeksf, and legs g, and slotted at h, and the rod having arms I and m,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A car-coupling havingjaws B, pivoted together near their rear ends,the spring-block 1), coupling-bolt O, secured between said jaws, and thecap or hood 1G, substantial! as and For the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I. aflix my signature in presence oi two witnesses.

\VI LL IA M ()0 UG U L A N.

Vitnesses:

J. H. SMITH, ED\VARD HAMMELL.

